A chance observation led to an unusual search of the Play Index, which produced these four pitchers:
These are the only pitchers since 1916 with an extraordinary relationship among three adjacent items in their seasonal pitching lines. What might seem an error actually reflects a bizarre game feat. The pitchers are listed in order of the years in which this occurred.
Although the distinction derives from individual game performances, I can think of no way to find those games (and only those games) with a Game Finder search. The Season Finder search which returns these four pitchers (since 1916) uses a relationship of two stats, one of which is not listed on the main player page, but can be deduced. It is possible that others have had the game performance without it being reflected in the seasonal stats which I used to find those performances.
For one of these pitchers, the extraordinary relationship stands out more sharply, as he did “it” twice in one season. If you should find those games and browse the play-by-play, you’ll see the same cause in both cases. What’s more, one of those games features the only two instances from 1954-95 of an outrageously unconventional stratagem — which has some connection to the odd feat we’re after. The combination of events makes it my favorite random box-score find of the young year. (FWIW, the two prior uses of that odd stratagem came in this game, for reasons unknown; but it won’t directly help you solve the mystery.)
For another of these four pitchers, the strange event was motivated by sentiment for a teammate.
For the first two pitchers listed, there is no play-by-play of the unusual games, and I have not been able to tell which games they are.
(And no, in spite of Steve Blass, the feat has nothing to do with wildness.)
